Tennis courts, basketball courts, volleyball courts, running tracks, and other recreational surfaces, particularly paved concrete or asphalt surfaces, are known to develop damaging cracks over time. Cracks in these types of paved surfaces tend to be most pronounced on outdoor surfaces in climates with freeze-thaw cycles caused by large variations in temperature throughout the year. The formation of small hairline cracks can quickly develop into larger cracks when water filters into the crack and freezes during colder temperatures. The pressure created by ice in a crack can cause larger separations which render the paved surface uneven. A cracked or uneven paved surface, particularly a paved surface that is used for recreational purposes, can create a hazard, especially during competitive activity. A cracked or uneven surface can also impact the trajectory of a ball, rendering the surface unsuitable for its intended use. If cracks are left without repair the entire surface can be damaged, requiring replacement of large portions of or even the entire surface. Thus, development of cracks in paved surfaces presents a continuous maintenance problem.
Current methods of repairing cracks in paved surfaces used for recreational and other purposes involve cleaning out the crack of loose debris and filling the crack with a fill material that hardens to form a surface which is level with the surrounding surface. This method is much less expensive than resurfacing an entire section of the pavement. However, filling the crack with a fill material provides only a temporary repair. Moisture can seep into small gaps between the fill material and the crack and pressure caused by freezing and thawing can cause the crack to expand.
Other methods of repairing cracks in a paved surface employ a slip-sheet method, which involves the application of multiple layers of material over a crack or crevice, with at least some of the layers being allowed to slip against each other (i.e., the layers are not adhesively in contact with one another). The slip-sheet method is intended to alleviate stresses which cause crack formation by allowing movement of the repair patch near the crack. However, the slip-sheet method suffers from heaving, and the formation of bubbles and dead spots at the repair site can render the repaired paved surface uneven.
The present invention is directed to overcoming these and other deficiencies in the art.